30 Facts About Michael Spinks

Michael Spinks was born on July 13,1956 and is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988.

Michael Spinks held world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal heavyweight title from 1985 to 1988.

Michael Spinks has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Michael Spinks won the 1974 156-pound Golden Gloves Light Middleweight Championship by defeating Wilber Cameron in Denver, Colorado and then took the Silver Medal in the National AAU 165-pound Championship Competition in 1975, losing in three rounds to Tom Sullivan in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Michael Spinks rebounded to take the 1976 National Golden Gloves Middleweight championship with a three-round victory over Lamont Kirkland in Miami, Florida, and that same year captured the United States Olympic Trials Middleweight Championship by defeating Keith Broom in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Michael Spinks benefited from a favorable draw.

Michael Spinks went on to defeat the Soviet Union's Rufat Riskiyev in the final.

Michael Spinks finished his amateur career with a record of 93 wins 7 losses.

Michael Spinks had no big contracts awaiting him and, while Michael appeared to experts to be the more promising of the two brothers, Leon was at that time the big shooting star, a television staple of ABC Sports, on his way to a shot at heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.

Michael Spinks had their mother to care for, and he was intent on helping Leon prepare for Ali.

Michael Spinks then turned professional with a win over Eddie Benson, knocking him out in one round on April 17,1977 in Las Vegas.

In 1978, Michael Spinks won two fights, including an eight-round decision over former world Middleweight title challenger Tom Bethea, in the same undercard where his brother Leon dethroned Ali as world Heavyweight champion in Las Vegas.

Michael Spinks dropped Mustafa Muhammad in round 12 and went on to become the WBA light heavyweight champion with a 15-round decision win.

Michael Spinks defended the title once in '81, beating Vonzell Johnson by a knockout in seven.

Michael Spinks had become a superstar, at least in the boxing world.

Michael Spinks began appearing on the covers of boxing magazines and boxing fans started clamoring for a unification fight with WBC champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

Michael Spinks repeatedly stopped Qawi in his tracks over the first 11 rounds but cautiously waited for Qawi to come out of his crouched defense to resume his assault.

Michael Spinks defended the title one more time before the end of the year, against Oscar Rivadeneira, whom he beat by a ten-round knockout.

Michael Spinks fought only once in 1984, retaining his crown with a twelve-round majority decision over Eddie Davis.

Michael Spinks was recognized as IBF Light heavyweight champion in 1984.

In 1985, Michael Spinks beat David Sears and Jim McDonald, both by knockout, in title defenses, before challenging Larry Holmes for the IBF and lineal heavyweight championship.

Michael Spinks knocked out Cooney in five rounds, and after Mike Tyson had unified the heavyweight belts, fans started clamoring for a fight between them as many still recognized Michael Spinks as the legitimate lineal champion.

Michael Spinks had a record of 31 wins and 0 losses, prior to the fight, with 21 wins by knockout as a professional.

Michael Spinks was the only light-heavyweight champion to remain undefeated in the entire history of the division since its inception in 1903, as well as the only reigning light-heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight title.

Furthermore, Michael Spinks did what no other light-heavyweight champion had ever done up to that point: move up to win the world heavyweight championship, by decisioning IBF champion Larry Holmes in 1985.

Michael Spinks is the most accomplished light heavyweight champion in history.

Michael Spinks is one of the few top fighters who left the sport of boxing with both a decent amount of money and being seemingly unharmed, free of permanent injuries and never returned to the ring.

Michael Spinks seemed quite at home in the ring waving and talking to the fans.

The lawsuit alleged that he commingled his personal funds with Michael Spinks's and used Michael Spinks's money to pay his and his children's own personal and business expenses.

Michael Spinks asked that the court bar Johnson and Williams from transferring any further assets from Lewis's estate until there can be a full accounting and payments to Michael Spinks are resumed.